Tuesday, August 28, 2012

More Pumpkin beer love today. Good news: You don't have to buy the Samuel Adams Harvest Collection 12-pack and sift through the Boston Lager and Dunkelweizen just to get to the Harvest Pumpkin Ale, as the beer is now available in six-packs. That's right, six Pumpkin-only beers. $8.99 around town. And though people lament the other Sam fall seasonal, Octoberfest, as tasting more watered-down every release, this Pumpkin Ale is approachable but solid.

It has to be a Pumpkin beer, right??? I mean, just look at the name: Witch Hunt. It makes you think of Halloween, and Halloween makes you think of pumpkins, damn it. Even the moon in the artwork kind of looks like a pumpkin. But try to find any mention of pumpkin on the label of Bridgeport's new fall seasonal- it's not there. The beer is brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg, so I think we can see the route they are going down. And you don't necessarily have to use real pumpkin to make a Pumpkin-style tasting beer. Using real pumpkin is a pain in the ass, as it can clog things up (I know of one local award-winning brewer who absolutely hates making them). So try one of these next to a beer that uses pupmkin and see what you think. $7.99 at Kelly's on Wyoming.

Finally, how much are you willing to pay for beer artwork? I say this because even though I have had Shipyard's Pumpkinhead many times, each time it hits the shelves I am tempted to buy it, and that's after I know what it tastes like. I just love the way the label looks. The beer is maybe not that not that bad, but the $12.99 (Whole Foods Carlisle)price tag kills it for me. Especially considering it's a 5% ABV beer. The Shipyard Imperial Pumpkin (also on shelves here) is even more expensive per ounce, at $9.99 for a 22 oz. bottle, but at least it's 9% ABV.